LEXINGTON, Ky. — Fayette County Public Schools and Russell Cave Elementary School have been recognized by the Kentucky Department of Education for innovative teaching practices that improve student outcomes.

The two schools received awards during the 2026 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit, held Sept. 21-22 at the Central Bank Center. The awards recognize best practices in education leadership and instruction.

FCPS received recognition for "Breaking Silos, Building Proficiency: Cross-Department Collaboration in Middle School," highlighting how the district's middle schools have improved student achievement through increased cooperation among faculty members. Russell Cave Elementary earned an award for "Better Together: Maximizing Success for Multilingual Learners through Co-Teaching," recognizing the school's effort to support non-English speakers through collaborative classroom instruction.

Each award came with a $1,000 grant to support school improvement initiatives. The Kentucky Department of Education presented 13 best practice awards during the summit, which drew more than 1,200 educators and education leaders from across Kentucky.

"The 2026 Kentucky Continuous Improvement Summit brought together more than 1,200 educators and education leaders from across the Commonwealth to learn, collaborate, and share ideas that can strengthen teaching, leadership, and student outcomes," said Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher.

The KDE launched its Best Practices and Sustainability website in 2013 to identify and promote teaching and management strategies that produce measurable improvements in student learning and school operations. The clearinghouse shares successful practices across Kentucky's school districts, allowing educators to learn from innovations proven to work in classrooms statewide.